


And I See The Reflection In Your Eyes

by primo_nizzuto



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alpha Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Alpha!Joe, Arranged Marriage, Canon-Typical Behavior, Dubious Consent, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Omegaverse, Royalty, omega!nicky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:02:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28417296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/primo_nizzuto/pseuds/primo_nizzuto
Summary: When the chance comes to end decades of war, King Yusuf prepares to undertake great personal sacrifice in order to protect his kingdom. Could it be that man he believes to be his curse might end up being the greatest gift life has ever granted to him?
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 18
Kudos: 309
Collections: Omega Nicky Holiday Gift Exchange





	And I See The Reflection In Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I owe all my thanks to the incredible Solariz and odyssxus for Betaing this fic for me!  
> ( https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solariz/pseuds/Solariz - https://archiveofourown.org/users/odyssxus/pseuds/odyssxus/)
> 
> And thank you endlessly to the Discord who have been so supportive in encouraging me to write in this ABO universe for the first time. I hope you guys enjoy 
> 
> NOTES: Please be aware of dubcon partway through the fic. Joe takes advantage of the situation, his position and Nicolò in this section. Please, please if this is something triggering stop reading at “You can go,” Yusuf commanded and pick up again at Nicolò came to slowly. 
> 
> I will break this segment up with ***** above and below the text.

The sound of shattering pottery filled the air as Yusuf furiously flung the small table across the floor, his shoulders shaking with the fury that bubbled in his veins. He had been to hell and back and yet out of everything he’d endured nothing seemed worse than this. This was not the way his life was supposed to be. 

He gritted his teeth and looked up at his advisor baring his teeth a little. In his peripheral vision he could see the beta attendants stiffening at the ever increasing scent of his Alpha pheromones, the scent growing every second with the growing weight of his anger. 

"Let me get this clear Quynh" he hissed sharply as he fixed his eyes upon her. "You think the best way for us to bring an end for this conflict is a marriage treaty? You want me to marry one of..." he waved his hand in the air making a hissing sound. "One of _them_?!" 

Quynh met his gaze just as fiercely though the female alpha was entirely in control of herself, refusing to rise to the challenge in Yusuf's body language. "If you would take a moment to stop throwing a tantrum and consider my suggestion rationally you know that it is a smart move," she replied, taking a sip from the solitary cup that had survived Yusuf's anger only by Quynh's quick reflexes. She sighed sympathetically as she looked up at her King. He was a young king, too young some might say, but tragedy had twisted fate to pull him onto a path he was never supposed to walk. 

Umran was to be king, he had been the one trained from youth to deal with dignitaries, he was the one trained in royal protocol. Yusuf had been the one allowed to travel to University, the one allowed to spend his formative years living a life without the restrictions of heritage. And then merely a year ago The royal family had been on a state visit when their plane had crashed. In an instant, Yusuf had gone from a young aspiring artist to being the ruler of their small country at the tender age of twenty two.

Quynh had known him well from childhood, her own parents had been very close to the royal family, her mother a dressmaker in the royal palace. And when her parents had died whilst she was young she was grateful the king and queen had kept her under their care, even when she realised that it had been their intention that she would one day be a suitable match for Yusuf. She had been truly relieved the day her inner alpha had presented itself, they both had. What had been a tea session with the ladies of the palace had ended up with her hand wrapped around the windpipe of a guard who had dared to lay a hand upon her inappropriately. 

In the aftermath she had worried about her own future. Would she be sent away now that her use was not suited to their purposes? It was Yusuf's reactions that day that had ensured their friendship was set for life. The young prince had argued that her intelligence and skill with a weapon were invaluable. Within days, Quynh had found herself training for the royal guard, the same guard she now found herself in command of. Though it did not make matters of the heart easier, not when she was drawn to an impossible romance. She cleared her mind of her own love to focus on Yusuf once more.

Letting out a sigh, she walked up to him, settling a palm gently upon his quivering shoulder. “Yusuf, I know this isn't fair. Nothing about this is fair. But you said it yourself,you want this war to end. You want the suffering and bloodshed to come to a stop and this is a peaceful way to do so.” She measured her words softly, keeping in full control of herself even as Yusuf's pheromones went haywire. “The alternative is to keep fighting, you know that Di Genova will not give up the war and neither will you.”  
  
Yusuf pushed both of his hands into his riotous curls, pulling on them roughly. “One thing. I wanted this one thing in life Quynh,” he whispered, sinking back down to his chair as the anger seemed to evaporate as quickly as it had come. He knew she was right, to mate with Di Genova's son would force a ceasefire given the bond between the families. No more of his Kingdom's best and brightest would die, he would begin to sleep at night without waking to nightmares of red on his hands.

He hated this life, hated it bitterly. His hands were built for paint and charcoal, not weaponry and blood. But with the death of his family his life had flipped upside down. Of course he had considered running as far away as he could, but Yusuf was not a selfish man. If he were, then his Kingdom would've been invaded by force. Without a monarch at its head, thousands would've died. To protect his people he would do anything, even giving up the freedom he so richly treasured.

“You need only mate with this omega, there is nothing to stop you trying to find pleasure outside of your courtship,” she reasoned, trying to draw a laugh from her friend.

For a long moment Yusuf remained quiet as he brought himself under full control finally. It was only as he drew himself to full height that he addressed her once more. “Send word to Di Genova, extend our offer of...a bonding.” He grimaced as he spoke but forced himself to continue. “I hope his offspring aren't quite as unsightly as the man himself,” he grimaced at the thought. “At the very least I hope whomever they suggest is tolerable. given the bloodline, I expect they are all uncivilised brats of the highest nature.” With a flurry of his robes he stalked from the courtroom without a further word.

Two hours Nicolò had been sat motionless staring out to the harbour beyond, his gaze fixed upon the ship that would tomorrow drag him from everything he had ever known. How could it be that a man across the world could change his fate on the simple signature of a page.

He was no fool, he knew that one day this time would come, as an omega child he was a highly valuable negotiating tactic. A slave of circumstance thanks to his biology.

Growing up he had prayed and prayed to present as a beta. To do so would've given him a freedom his alpha siblings could never have. He would've been free of the war they were forced to serve, free to live a life of his own. Never in his most worried thoughts had he dreamed he would present as an omega though. The first of his kind in several generations. The first night he had woken to slick soaked sheets, he had sobbed brokenly knowing that this meant a life under someone else's rule. A life where he would be promised to someone who very likely would care very little for him other than for the fact he could bring them children.

  
  


The first hints of marriage had come shortly after his seventeenth birthday. He had overheard talk of Lord Merrick extending a treaty of marriage with the intention of mating with Nicolò the moment he turned eighteen. The thought knocked Nicolò so sick that he had been bedridden for three days, too lost in depression to think about even taking care of himself.

He had heard horror stories of this Lord. The man was rich certainly and would give his parents a large dowry but he had already had two omegas, both of whom had passed away. The story was that both had died in tragic accidents, Nicolò feared terribly that there was more to it than that.

The day he had been due to meet Merrick, panic had taken control over rationality and Nicolò had fled the kingdom on horseback with nothing to his name. He had no plans of where to go or how he would survive but the alternative was unthinkable.

Barely a week he had managed on his own, before trouble had taken root. He had been in a small inn trading a pricey gold necklace for a room for the night when he had felt strong hands upon his shoulder. Turning around, he had found himself face to face with three terrifying men all looking at him in a way that made Nicolò wish to vomit. Their intentions were clearly impure and in fear Nicolò had thrown his head forwards to headbutt the first of the men, using the moment of confusion caused by his unexpected attack to try and run from the inn. He had barely made it a few steps away before he felt his lithe frame thrown heavily against a table, a muscular body bracketing him from behind. Every shift made him feel the hardness pressed against his rear. The thought that he might lose his virginity to someone like this was heartbreaking, and worse still, what if one of them gave him a mating bite? He would be tied to them for life.

  
  


Lost to his panicked thoughts, he hadn't realised the weight had pulled away from him until the splash of crimson liquid coated the table beside him. Trembling with fear, he turned around, shocked to see a small dark haired woman standing in the midst of blood stained body parts with nothing more than an axe held firmly in her grasp. Andromache looked like the Gods of legend stood serene in chaos. For a short moment, he was relieved for her assistance until he caught onto the alpha scent lingering under the chaos. In the seconds he had been preparing to run she had simply snorted and grasped him by the arm. A threat to him physically certainly, but from the way she held him it seemed she did not hold any ill intentions in terms of harming him. But she was regrettably the bounty hunter his father had hired to bring him home. 

  
  


The sound of movement beside him had Nicolò looking to his right, taking in the sight of the woman from his memories dropping down beside him. “You have heard the news I presume,” he asked, sounding utterly defeated.

  
Andromache pulled a flask from her belt and took a sip from it, before offering it to Nicolò. “I was summoned by your father to be your escort. Let’s just say he didn't expect that you wouldn't attempt to do another midnight flee. And after you lost him the chance at making a deal with Merrick, he isn't taking another risk” she quipped.

  
  


At that Nicolò rolled his eyes, taking a long sip from the flask even as he frowned at the bitterness of the alcohol. It was strange how close he had grown to the woman after she had returned him to the kingdom. She had become almost protective of him. And despite not being on the palace guard, it wasn't unusual for Andromache to walk with him when he took a visit out to the markets. He had grown to treasure the kinship he had with her. “I have heard nothing good of this kingdom.”

“Could have something to do with your country being at war with them kiddo, they aren't exactly going to be singing each other’s praises, are they?”

Nicolò considered the words for a moment. His father had called the Al-Kaysanis vulgar barbarians. The tales his father wrung were callous and cruel, and yet was that not the same way his father was towards Nicolò himself? Perhaps he was letting hateful words bleed into his preconceptions. Or perhaps it was the fear of becoming little more than a brood mare that had him quivering with fear of what was to become of him.

  
  


“Look, kid,” Nicolò shot her a playful glare and she shoved him with her shoulder, smirking a little. “You've been dealt a shitty hand of cards and you're bitter about that, I get it. But there isn't a way out of this. The deal has been struck and if you were to run again I worry your bastard of a father might decide you're more trouble than you're worth,” she said, feeling a spark of anger at the thought of the kind man beside her being killed. She noticed the lines of tension in his body as she spoke. Over the few years since she had brought Nicolò home she had caught glimpses of the way his family treated him. He was looked down upon for his class, brought into the fold only when he could be a valuable pawn, and from the bruises she caught sight of, she suspected his father was none too gentle with him whenever Nicolò's fiery temper would make him speak up. “Nicky,” she continued, slipping into the fond nickname she had given him. “Here you're always going to be under his control anyway. Mahgreb is beautiful. At the very least, you'll get to be in a new part of the world away from your family's bullshit. Maybe it won’t be so bad.”

After a long pause, Nicky looked up at her tilting his head curiously. “You've been there?” he asked softly. He knew the alpha was well travelled, though she had never expanded on just how much. He suspected he could find out a secret of hers every day for a year and would still be no closer to unravelling her mystery.

“I have. Several times actually...” Her eyes grew guarded for a moment before she looked off to the horizon, quickly recovering. “I can't tell you much of your husband though. The last time I was there his brother was due to be the next king.”  
  
Nicolò grimaced a little. He knew well the tale of what had happened to the Al-Kaysanis. It was a tragedy in his eyes but his father and brothers had celebrated with wide grins and champagne. It had made Nicolò horrified to watch the callous way they had celebrated such loss. “This Yusuf has lost much then...”  
  
“Lost much he loved and gained much he did not want, it seems” She said cryptically as she levered herself to her feet, holding a hand out to help Nicolò to his feet. “Now, let's get you back to your rooms before he sends guards out looking for you.” 

  
  


Nicolò shot one last look back to the horizon behind him, taking in his last sight of a Genoan sunset until he finally let Andromache tow him back in the direction of his homestead.

The kingdom was like nothing Nicolò had seen before. Instead of cracking old walls and cold draft filled hallways, he found himself gazing upon stunning white walls which towered way above the carriage in which he had travelled to the palace. beautiful tapestries covered each and every wall down the hallways, giving a sense of warmth that he had never had at home. 

For the first time since his father had decreed he would mate with the King of Mahgreb, he found himself finding some hope. Maybe just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad? How quickly that hope was killed.

“I am not wearing that, Andromache!” he hissed, looking at the sorry excuse for a garment laid across the bed. “It is obscene...it is....it is nothing more than a scrap of fabric. It is humiliating!”

Andy sighed, though she at least looked somewhat sympathetic as she approached the bed to pick up what was little more than a pair of underwear that appeared to have been crafted out of the finest lace and a beaded top section that was clearly for decoration alone. “Nicky, you’ve got no choice, kiddo,” she reasoned. “This is what was requested for you to wear, if you go out there dressed like that you're going to anger your alpha.”  
  
  
“He is not my alpha. Not yet,” Nicolò hissed angrily, feeling tears gather in his eyes as his frustration at the situation grew. He felt so helpless. It was all too much to bear. A new home, a new life filled with strangers. All he had left was his pride. It seemed that soon that would be lost to him as well. With his voice breaking he took a trembling breath, “Andromache there must be something that can be done.”  
  
  
“Be careful of what you say Nicky, the walls will have ears here. You need to show respect to the king.” Andromache turned to him, wishing she could pull him into her arms to soothe him but she didn't dare put her scent all over him this close to the ceremony. It could cause any number of diplomatic issues. “Nicolò, go and get yourself cleaned up and take a few minutes. I'm sorry, kiddo. This isn't fair, but it's the life you've got now.” With a weak smile, she turned on her heel and hurried from the room, hating the sound of trembling breaths that she could hear him let slip from behind her.

  
  


She was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed her steps were being followed for several corridors. It was foolish, stupid, to not be focused in a kingdom where she might be perceived as a threat. She supposed it told of just how important Nicky was to her. One hand slid to pull a dagger from her waist band as she pivoted on the spot, turning just as she heard the steps quicken. In seconds, she found herself in a tussle on the floor trying valiantly to throw off the weight of the aggressive alpha. Fury had taken hold until the sound of a familiar laugh began to rise in her air.

The anger vanished as soon as it appeared, her hand dropping the dagger by her side as she too began to laugh. “You know most people greet old friends by calling out their name” she asked discreetly, turning her head to take in the familiar scent. How long had it been, two years? Three?

  
  


“And when have I ever been most people Andromache?” Quynh replied teasingly, slowly pushing herself to her feet with one hand extended towards Andy. Her gaze ran over the other alpha as she stood, heart beating faster in her chest at the sight of her. “I heard word of you being in the City, I had wondered why. Escorting an omega seems beneath your skillset...”

  
  
Andromache rolled her eyes, shooting the other woman a small grin as she recovered her dagger and tucked it safely away. “Well, this isn't just any omega,” she replied, never having been able to really lie to Quynh. At the curious expression the other alpha gave her, she let out a sigh and gestured for her to walk with her. They slipped out onto an ornate balcony before she spoke again. “This King of yours, he is so new to the scene that no-one seems to know much about him.” she glanced to her right, watching Quynh as she spoke, “is he a tyrant too?”  
  
  
Quynh rolled her eyes, “like Di Genova, you mean?” She asked with a scoff. “Ikram was a good ruler before his passing, he was not the tyrant the Genoan's claimed him to be. And Umran showed promise, he was a little more fiery tempered but he was a good man,” she let out a sad sigh, moving forwards to rest a hip against the edge of the balcony. “Yusuf is the best of them all. His heart is good. He was to be an artist before. He was good at it,” she waved her hand around the balcony as she spoke, “this was his painting work. But now he finds himself in a life that he did not plan for. He of course is angry. This marriage is not one he was enthusiastic for.”

  
  


“And you think Nicky is?” she asked incredulously, unable to help the way her tone turned a little bitter. “He is kind, Quynh. He is smart, he is sweet and he is a good man. He deserves more than the hand he is being dealt.”

  
  


“He will soon learn to adapt. The bond will bring great benefits for him,” Quynh shrugged. “King Yusuf is financially far better off than Francesco Di Genova. In time, the war would have swung in Mahgreb's favour. Yusuf chose to end the fight now in order to save lives. He is sacrificing more than you know for the sake of his kingdom. Di Genova is going to make a fortune as part of the new trading legislations being set up as part of the deal.”  
  
  


  
“This is his family Quynh. This is Nicky giving up his freedom, his life, everything he knows to come here and be someone else's tool because of the demands of his biology,” she yelled.

For a moment Quynh fell into silence, looking down at the floor instead of Andy herself, “We both know that sometimes our biology means we must sacrifice what we want for what must be,” she whispered, already stalking from the balcony before Andy could speak a word to stop her.

Nicolò felt hollow as he stared at himself in the mirror, green eyes wet with the shine of tears as he ran his gaze over his own pale skin. The white briefs were tight to his body, leaving nothing to the imagination and the delicate beading of the harness was nothing more than window decoration which quite frankly pinched at his skin with every shift of movement. The one saving grace was the long veil he had been granted to hide his face from view. It was a mockery of modesty, the illusion of a privacy he wasn't being granted in the slightest, but at least it would hide his blush.

  
  


With shaking hands, he grasped the translucent fabric and affixed it upon his head, letting his long hair fall freely underneath it's confines. Underneath it he could smell nothing more than the sweet smelling fragrance that had been left for him to douse himself with. Were he a less intelligent man, he would've thought it a kind gesture. He knew the truth was that they wanted him to rid himself of any scent of home before he met his betrothed.

He took in a deep breath as he heard footsteps behind him, letting a bitter sounding laugh, “It seems the mighty 'king' has drawn first humiliation. Look how ridiculous I look Andromache, he must be a cruel monster to subject me to thi--” he cut off as he turned, finding himself face to face with a strange alpha, her long dark hair fixed in a high ponytail. From the sword at her hip and the sleek armour on her frame, it was clear she was someone he shouldn't be trifling with.

  
  


“In her description of you she did not mention your fiery temper. Though I'd be careful of your tongue, impetuous words might not be so easily ignored in the future,” Quynh said with a little amusement as she approached Nicky, running her gaze over him in a clinical way. She watched how he tensed and smiled a little wider, baring her teeth. “Relax, I can assure you you are not my type,” she said cryptically. After a few moments more she took a step back. “You'll do for the presentation, though with more time we would have that hair resolved. For a prince you are rather unkempt.”

  
  


The words sent a flurry of anger through him but he bit back the words he longed to speak given her earlier warning. He'd spent many a year learning just how much trouble his loose lips could get him into, instead he simply stared upon her till she finally gestured for him to follow. Merely hours before he had felt a sense of fascination as he walked the halls looking at the detail on the many tapestries, now the corridors felt colder than those at home. He could hear the patter of his own bare feet echoing loudly as they moved closer and closer to his fate. A part of him was glad he had skipped dinner, he was sure it would've come back up with the way his stomach was twisting with unease, if not certainly from the way his heart lurched in his chest. It felt like everything was closing in on him but there was no escape this time, this was to be his future.

  
  


Quynh stopped suddenly outside a large wooden door and in his distraction Nicolò very nearly bumped into her. “I suggest you focus, Nicolò Di Genova. The king deserves your focus,” she warned as she knocked three times on the door.

It took a few seconds before the door creaked open to show a stocky blond male dressed in a tunic displaying the kingdom's crest. For a moment, Nicolò wondered whether this was the King he was promised to. At least until he caught a whiff of the beta scent radiating off him.

  
“Is the King ready for him?” Quynh asked, unable to stop the roll of her eyes at the way Sebastian's eyes moved over the young omega's frame. “You know if Yusuf was to catch you doing that you might find yourself working another month of shifts in the dungeons again,” she warned as she shoved him aside, gesturing for Nicolò to follow once more.

  
“I am simply appreciating the merchandise is all,” Sebastian replied, unashamedly letting his gaze take in the back of Nicolò as he passed by. “Damn, from what your father looks like we were wondering whether Yusuf would end up getting the raw end of the deal. How’s his face.” He had begun to reach out to grasp the veil when Quynh grasped his wrist tightly.

“Sometimes I wonder why Yusuf keeps you around,” she snapped. Had it not been for the amused quirk at the corner of her lips Nicolò would've thought her ready to tear the beta to pieces for his insolence. As it was, the young prince was more than ready to throw his own punch. The feeling of being ogled so freely had left his skin feeling like it was crawling. With the others distracted by their bickering, he allowed himself to scan the rooms he had been brought to. They were certainly private quarters, judging by the comfortable chairs settled around the room. Several bookshelves seemed to line the room, each stacked with what seemed like hundreds of books. He itched to approach and investigate with more curiosity but his attention was pulled by the sound of a firm cough. 

Nicolò turned his head slowly in the direction of the sound, finding himself looking at perhaps the most beautiful man he had ever seen. His beard was trimmed immaculately to accent his jaw, his dark hair groomed in tight controlled curls. Nicolò was curiously trailing his gaze over his face when finally he found himself looking upon those eyes. Immediately, he felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over him, there was such an anger within their depths. He swallowed back the lump in his throat taking in the way the King's jaw was tight with such tension he was sure he would crack it. It seemed perhaps he was not the only one unhappy with the situation.

_**************************************************************************************************************************************************** _

“You can go,” Yusuf commanded in a firm tone as he looked upon both Quynh and Sebastian, both of whom had fallen into line the moment they had heard his arrival. “This shouldn't take too long.”

The dismissive nature of the words had Nicolò's anger returning in spades. He drew in a breath and took a small step towards the king. “Where is the rest of the court, where is the officiant, the ceremony,” he bit out.

Yusuf whirled around so quickly that Nicolò stumbled back a step or two at the force of the gaze that was suddenly fixed upon him. “Did I grant you permission to speak? What right do you have to question me when your presence here is at my invitation?” he grit out bitterly. “Though I suppose you are your father's son after all. Disrespectful, weak, pathetic” 

  
“I am not the pathetic one here,” Nicolò muttered, immediately regretting his words as the King marched up and grasped both hands tightly on his shoulders.  
  
“That is the first and last crossed word that you will speak to me. If it were in my power, you would be nowhere near my kingdom, let alone in my bed. You are here to do a job. As am I. Let us not think this anything more than a transaction.” Yusuf let the other man go, turning his attention back to Sebastian and Quynh gesturing with a firm jerk of his head for them to leave. This time their retreating footsteps sounded immediately.

“Why on earth would I spend a fortune on a bonding ceremony for this? I have no intention to parade you proudly in front of the court. You are here to continue the bloodline, maintain the new contract between my kingdom and your father’s. I would advise you to remember that. Now, let’s get this over with,” he demanded, this time taking Nicolò by the wrist.

The touch wasn't painful but it was not particularly comfortable to be led through to the bedroom in such a callous manner. He looked over to the plush bed and wondered if in another life this could've been romantic. In truth, he was reeling from the words spoken. He knew his bonding was transactional to his father but a small part of him had desperately hoped that his bondmate would be a kind man, or at least a good one. It would make all of it more tolerable.

Firm hands grasped suddenly at the waistband of his lingerie, pulling it down before Nicolò could even think to cover himself. He felt bile rise in his throat but held himself steady as the same hands unclasped the beading and cast it aside. What surprised him though was that the veil remained unremoved.

“Get on the bed and do not make me ask twice” Yusuf sighed, sounding almost bored as he watched the omega hesitate before moving to lie back upon the luxurious purple sheets. Yusuf sighed again, and he rolled his eyes before making a circular motion..he rolled his eyes and made a circular motion with his fingertips. “No, on your hands and knees,” he commanded.

  
  


Nicolò swallowed back the lump in his throat. He was no innocent when it came to the thought of sex. Physically he remained untouched, but Andromache had told him enough stories about her own exploits that he knew exactly what Yusuf was referring to, and the thought made him feel utterly humiliated. “Please… I would like to stay like this,” he whispered.

  
  


For a single moment the King took pause. The man sounded so vulnerable, so soft. He was almost tempted to take pity on him but the idea of looking onto a face so similar to that of his enemies in such an intimate situation disturbed him. It was why he had not removed the veil after all. With it fixed in place he could allow himself to pretend, at least for a moment, that the situation was different. Yusuf began to undress himself. “I told you to get onto your hands and knees,” he commanded.

  
  


Nicolò's aching heart sunk into his stomach as he shifted his weight slowly, moving first onto his knees. He hesitated for a moment, hoping the other man would change his mind, but after several beats of silence followed he dropped down to brace himself on his hands as demanded. Every inch of him was tight with tension from the vulnerable position. Behind him the bed dipped, and those warm hands ran down his back until they settled upon the firm swell of his ass. A shiver ran through him as his intended parted his cheeks, letting out a disgruntled sound.

“Of course you wouldn't make it easy.” Yusuf hissed irritably as he noticed that there was little to no slick. “I wanted this simple and done with so I could get back to my day,” he huffed, moving from the bed once again.

  
  


Nicolò didn't dare move even though he wanted to bury his face into the sheets to hide the tears that had begun to fall. He wasn't surprised that he was struggling to get himself in the mood given the detached nature of their coupling. Behind him the weight of the King returned, followed mere seconds later by a finger pressing into his virginal hole. Nicolò winced a little at the burn, though he had no chance to catch his breath as it curled inside of him. It began to rub in circular motion that had his hips rocking suddenly at the spark of pleasure. For a few moments the finger rubbed ceaselessly at that spot till it withdrew, only to return with a second finger, both settling back over the maddening spot.

  
  


For the first time since he had arrived in the King's quarters Nicolò found his mind floating away from his thoughts as his body began to take over, stopping him from overthinking. Under the teasing pressure of the fingers he could feel himself beginning to grow wet with desire, slick starting to ease the way. he fingers brushed more swiftly inside of him, over and over, to the point where he was moaning obscenely. It was too much and not enough at the same time, he wanted more, craved more, chased more, already grinding his hips back into every pulse of fingers.

  
  


There was something about the way the omega moved that captivated Yusuf for several moments. He had intended a perfunctory gesture to simply open the omega enough to take him, but now he found himself staring as he began to gush slick. He idly thought of how it might feel to bury his lips between those cheeks and take in the taste of him. Would it be as intoxicating as his scent promised? That scent, it was sweet, sweeter than anything Yusuf had ever smelt before and yet there was also a citrusy element. 

  
  


The alpha dug the nails of his free hand into his palm to bring himself back to focus, finally withdrawing his hand. The movement drew a whimper from the needy omega. He needed to focus and stop getting carried away. “Let's get this done” he muttered more to himself, shifting to settle behind the omega. It was perhaps a little rough in the way he thrust suddenly into the young man. Too swift and without warning. It seemed from the desperate little moan Nicolò made that it was everything the omega needed, but that didn’t make it quite right. In that moment the thought couldn’t quite take root, the alpha already losing control of his focus. Perhaps that would be for the better for both of them.

  
  


Yusuf's hands grasped firmly upon Nicolò's hips, drawing them back firmly. Gods it was maddening how tight he was. He was certainly not the first omega the King had lain with, but no one else had felt quite like this. No one took him quite so well. He canted his hips hard and fast, chasing his own release in the tight channel unable to stop his own grunts of pleasure now.

  
  


Everything was a haze of pleasure for Nicolò. Anything except for the feeling of Yusuf's thick cock driving into his body had been chased away. It was intoxicating how every thrust inside of him sent dizzying sparks of desperation coursing through him. He was shaking from the struggle of keeping himself braced on the bed, the force of the thrusts sending the headboard slamming into the wall.

  
  


Yusuf could feel his own climax building, already feeling the knot at the base of his cock beginning to swell and catch at the rim of the omega's dripping hole. He shifted to brace his muscular frame against his back, pressing his lips against the sweaty skin at the base of his neck. His fingernails dug sharply into Nicolò's flesh as he slammed his own hips forwards three times, burying himself deep as his knot finally locked into place, sending a wave of release into the younger man's body. Yusuf's vision whited out with the force of his orgasm. He was so lost in the overwhelming pleasure that it was a good minute or so before he finally sunk his teeth into the omega's neck to mark him as his own.

  
  


It should've been the best moment of his life, a moment in which he and his soulmate were irrevocably paired together till their end of their days. Instead the sight of the bondbite made his stomach churn. It was nothing more than ink on a contact, the completion of a deal. With the bite he had signed away his chance for happiness. He wanted nothing more to pull free and storm from the room, but their bodies were tied together for the foreseeable future. Yusuf had no intentions of carrying through with the tradition of mating his new husband as many times as possible on their 'wedding night'. 

  
  


Below him he could feel the omega trembling with oversensitivity from being so full, the constant pressure keeping him floating in a haze of bliss as a slave to his hormones. He would want to nest, crave the smell and presence of his alpha for sometime now. With more sensitivity than he had shown up to that moment, Yusuf wrapped both arms around the shaking omega to roll them both onto their sides whilst they awaited for his knot to release. He hoped for his own selfish reasons that it would be swift.

_***************************************************************************************************************************************************** _

Nicolò came to slowly, grimacing a little as he felt an ache from his lower half. Realisation came to him all at once, making him reach up to snatch the fabric of the veil from where it had remained on his head. From his quick look around he realised he remained still in the King's quarters, though the man in question seemed to be long gone judging by how cold the sheets beside him were.

  
  


Given how cold the King had been to him, Nicolò shouldn't be surprised at waking alone but it filled him with sadness to be abandoned after his first time. He could smell the alpha on every inch of his skin and oh, how he craved it. It wasn't enough, it wasn't concentrated enough.

  
  


Nicolò shifted again, grimacing as he felt a stickiness between his legs. Would it always be so unpleasant, he wondered, and how frequently would the King search him out to take him so impersonally? Would it always be so heartbreaking? His slim fingers moved to brush at the shape of the bite where it lay clear upon his throat now. How was fate so cruel to tie him to someone who hated him so wholly?

A knock sounding on the door pulled him from his thoughts long enough for him to see a young female enter the room. He grew tense at the sight of her, yanking up the covers as much as he could to cover his modesty.

  
“Hey...” She said softly as she approached the bed in a similar manner to how one might approach a wild and fearful animal. “I thought you might need something to eat,” she offered, bringing a small tray to set it down beside Nicolò. 

He bit down onhis lip nervously as he looked between her and the tray several times, uncertain as to whether to let his hunger or anxiety win in this moment. It was only as he came to the realisation that the woman before him was beta that he finally took a piece of bread to his lips.

  
  


“You're Nicolò then, I'm Nile. I'm kinda new here too,” she brushed back a lock of her hair as she offered him a kind smile. “How about I get you something to wear and I'll walk you down to the baths so you can clean up?” she offered.

  
  


The kindness she showed was in direct contrast to everything he had faced up until now. He was silenced by the lump that grew in his throat, quickly dipping his head downwards to hide the emotion.

  
  


Unthinking of her position Nile dove forwards to pull him into the cradle of her arms, burying one hand into his sweaty hair. “I'm sorry, it can't be easy for you. Look, nothing is going to look good when you're hungry and still...well...” She paused and changed her tack. “Let's get you cleaned up and I'll show you out into the gardens. Maybe some fresh air will help.”

Nicky's face had buried itself against her neck, drawing in the comforting scent of the beta. It wasn't intoxicating like Yusuf's had been. No, the Beta radiated calm. He found himself soothing under the way she massaged gently at his back, enough so that after a few minutes he could draw back enough to look into her kind eyes. “I would like that, Nile… I would like that a lot..”

She pulled back, smiling back at him. “I'll head out and grab you something now. You eat up,” she encouraged, pushing the tray of food next to him.

Nicky looked at it with a grimace. He knew after the previous night he should ensure to eat, that his body needed the nutrients and energy, but he felt too unsteady. He'd spent many nights wondering how it would feel to lie with another. Andromache had always spoken of the act in such heated terms, told him it was such a passionate act. Perhaps that was simply only the case for alphas? It hadn't been that way for him, his alpha had made sure of that. Certainly for a spell the pleasure had overwhelmed him but the comfort he craved so desperately was nowhere to be found. Where was his chance to strengthen his bond? Where was his chance to give their ill-fated courtship even a shred of a chance? How could it be he was so repulsive to his mate that he wouldn't even look upon his face? He drew his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. “I think perhaps I would like to rest some more instead, after bathing,” he said finally, feeling a growing need to shut himself away as his emotions took hold once more.

  
  


Nile looked at him with pity. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to have your whole life left to the whims of someone else's fancy. Sure, she had wondered about it when she was younger, wondered how it would feel to share a bond with someone but in adulthood she'd seen the truth of it all. A bond was simply a tie between an alpha and an omega, it didn't promise love or joy and, damn, it seemed like this poor sweet omega wasn't going to find his own happy ending. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, she nodded at him. “Of course. Another time,” she replied, making a promise to herself that she'd do what she could to make Nicolò comfortable in his new life. 

Quynh watched with a drawn out sigh as, for the eighth time, Yusuf stalked past her, his gaze fixed unseeingly on the floor below. “Are you going to tell me exactly what the matter is or am I going to have to guess from your theatrics?”  
  
  
A grumpy huff left Yusuf's lips as he turned suddenly to face her, though there was no anger in his eyes. “The bond is sealed, everything is arranged and yet I can't stop feeling like.... I don't know, something just feels… not quite right.”  
  
  
“You and I both know what the matter is,” she answered unsympathetically as she leaned back against the wall to watch him with a judgemental eye, as if waiting for him to respond. When he continued to stare stubbornly at her, she rolled her eyes. “The fact that you're here instead of curled up settling your new bond isn't going to help you feel better. You should be back there starting to build a relationship with him.”

  
  
At that Yusuf's teeth bared, his eyes narrowing. “I don't want a relationship with him. With any luck that...” he waved his hand in a dismissive manner at the thought of the bonding with the young Italian prince. “With any luck a pup will be borne of that and I'll be able to keep my distance for another year.”

  
  
“Usman was always the one with a mind for business, that is true. But right until this moment I had thought you were the smart one,” Quynh retorted, unperturbed by the hiss that arose from the king. “Listen to yourself. You really intend to spend the next year dodging around the castle in an attempt to hide from an omega? From _your_ omega? Come on Yusuf, he can't be that bad.”

  
  
“He is one of _them,_ you've seen the results of his father's monstrous actions, Quynh. How can anything borne from a man like that be anything but poison.”

  
  
  


“I'd ask if I could speak freely but you realise even if you told me no I'd continue to do so” Quynh countered boldly as she stepped up to rest both hands on his shoulders. “Your father and Di Genova were at war for a long time, both of them had their hands bloodied by it, neither were innocent. But you took a step forward to stop the fighting, you were a different man than your father. Does your omega not deserve a chance to prove that he, too, is a better man than his sire?”

For the first time since the Omega's arrival, Joe found himself thinking about the man in more than anger. He had barely allowed him to speak and had been abrasive in cutting off whatever he had tried to say. He hadn't even allowed the omega to reveal his face. Had he been rash? A feeling of shame flooded Yusuf as he thought back to the night before. He had been so impersonal and cruel in the act. The omega had been virginal, pure, and yet he had defiled him as a mindless alpha and not as the lover he knew he could be. “As mad as I am to admit it, you may have a point.”

  
  
A telltale smirk crossed her lips as she found him looking up at her once more. “When are you going to learn, darling brother that I am always right. You'd think after the hundredth time you’d just trust me,” she teased, her lips softening into a smile. “Perhaps if you take a chance, something good can come out of the bloodshed of this bastard period of war. A new beginning, a fresh start instead of focusing on the past.”  
  
  
He considered her words, letting the thought take root. He would need to speak with Nicolò, learn of the man himself and let his assumptions go. He could only hope the omega would be receptive to an apology. Though for the moment it could wait, he had his own burning questions. “Sometimes good can come from the past, no?” he pressed, unable to help from laughing as she looked aggravated, clearly thinking him to be ignoring her advice. “I mean, Booker has been telling me how you've been seen around the castle speaking with a very familiar alpha...”

  
  


All colour drained from Quynh's face at the statement. “We were speaking of business, my king, she is herefor the protection of Nicolò. There is nothing untow--”

  
  
“Quynh,” Joe began, softly cupping her jaw in order to push her face up once more. “What was it you said to me mere moments ago? I am not my father. Yes?”

  
  
She swallowed audibly, not daring to believe what he was saying, and yet what else could it mean. It had been years since the last night she had spent with Andromache. Too many of them. What they had shared was something that Quynh had felt in the depths of her soul. It wasn't right to feel that way for another alpha, of course she knew that, but the other woman awakened something inside her that made her feel so alive. After so long of following duty and sacrificing her own happiness, Quynh had been ready to run away with Andromache and leave it all behind before everything had gone to hell. Somehow their tryst was discovered, guards had been sent to seize Andromache. She was sure her lover would die that very night. In truth, she owed everything to Sebastian, who had stepped up without request to petition for Andromache's release. Her life was spared but their love had to be over for the safety of their lives.

  
“I am not my father” Yusuf repeated, stepping closer to wrap his arms around the woman he saw as his sister. “What we want isn't always what we should and for too long, I think, you have allowed yourself to focus on what should be and not what you want to be. I cannot absolve myself from blame in that, I sat aside and watched them draw up marriage plans for us before you presented. I was as worried as you were about following what my duty demanded of me. I was ready to let someone lead my life as were you...but now things are different for both of us.” He smiled genuinely as he kissed her temple. “Don't hold back any longer, I give you consent as king, but more importantly as your friend, to follow your heart.”

For the first time since they were children, Quynh sobbed against his shoulder as the years of feelings she had desperately tried to hold back spilled through. The thought of being with Andromache freely and wholly made her heart flood with a warmth so hot she felt that she might burn up from the inside.

“I think you have someone to go and talk to,” Yusuf whispered after a few moments, drawing back from the embrace enough to be able to wipe away her tears. “Go on, you're relieved from your duties from the rest of the day.”  
  
Quynh smiled warmly at him as she drew herself to her full height and gave him a salute, solely for the purpose of making him laugh fondly. “I think we both have someone we need to go and talk to, brother.”

  
  
“Yes. Yes, we do,” Yusuf agreed, taking in a deep breath as he steeled himself for what was to come.

The polite thing to do would be to bring a gift by way of apology. That is what his father had often done whenever he had upset his mother. Some form of jewellery or finery coupled with an apology often eased the tension between them but, somehow, he didn't think that would work for Nicolò. For hours, he had wracked his brain for an idea of just how he could mend bridges that had never had a chance to grow.

He had asked around those who had been tending to the omega for a grasp as to the true character of his mate. His queries had been rather fruitless until he had happened upon one of the newer palace employees making her way through the corridor. He had heard she had been assigned to the newcomer and had been swift in pulling her aside to learn as much of the younger man ashe could, even if her knowledge was limited. Even still, he struggled to think how he could begin to start again with Nicolò.

  
  


It was as he paced his quarters that an idea occurred to him. He needed to prove that he could care for his omega at a base level, needed to give their courtship the chance to become a true bond and for that they would need to be in each other's presence, not separated in different rooms. Swallowing his pride, he had ordered for fresh linens and cushions to be draped on the bed, doing the very best that he could to build a suitable nest for the younger man. Foods of all kinds were brought to rest on the bedside tables along with the highest quality wines the kingdom produced.

  
  


Only as everything was prepared did Yusuf send Booker to fetch the Omega. It was strange given everything that had passed between them that Yusuf found himself flooded with nerves. Had he not been so stubborn minded and full of anger, would this have been how it might have felt the day before? The swirling uncertainty of his thoughts had him distracted enough that he did not hear the door open to permit the pair, though the moment he caught onto Nicolò's scent he was shaken from his reverie. Had he smelt this sweet the last time? It bordered on something almost citrusy. Yusuf found he had never smelt anything quite so wonderful before.

  
  


Acting on instinct, he turned around and was struck silent as he found himself face to face with Nicolò in the very same lingerie the omega had been wearing the night before. From the smirk on Booker's face, he suspected the man had taken liberties in passing on his request for Nicolò's attention and he would certainly be having words to make sure it wouldn't happen again, though anger could not reign in him for the moment. He was too intoxicated by the sight. The King's gaze moved slowly over the supple muscle of the omega's thighs and over his softer torso. What would it be like to see his middle grow with the healthy swell of a pup?

  
  


“Sebastian. Leave us,” Yusuf commanded with barely contained lust. Something was building within him that felt desperately beyond his control and yet he tampered it down for now. He owed the omega that, at least. Whatever hope he had of a fresh start was quickly dampened by the listless way Nicolò worked to strip down the thin pieces of fabric and yet he made no movement to pull the veil from his head.

Yusuf moved forward as the omega made to make his way towards the bed, catching him gently by the wrist. He felt tension shoot through the omega immediately and with it a fresh wave of guilt rushed through the king. “I am aware that I did not act fairly to you yesterday. No, that doesn't even begin to cover it. What I did was not right, I should not have been so dismissive to you,” he began softly.

  
“It is your right to do with me as you please,” Nicolò answered, his voice brittle enough that Yusuf lessened the strength of his grip just a little. The Genoan was startled to hear the other speak to him gently, let alone try and make amends. A part of him was tempted to listen, to give him the chance. The other part of him stubbornly wanted to keep his heart locked away in the hope of protecting himself.

  
  


“Nicolò,” Yusuf began softly, finally dropping his wrist in order to step in front of the omega. With some trepidation, he moved his hands towards the veil trying to keep focused even as his heart began to hammer rapidly in his chest. He was determined to try and be better for the younger man regardless of his looks and yet the thought that he may look like his father was something that churned his stomach. He was achingly slow in pulling it free from Nicolò's head, fingertips shaking on the soft fabric as it came away from the omega's head. In that moment, the King found himself breathless for an entirely different reason.

  
  


Those eyes were a colour Yusuf was sure he could never recreate on an easel, stunning and captivating his very soul. His face was strong jawed and yet soft in a manner that had Yusuf itching to take up charcoal and recreate it over and over again. And those lips, so plump and pink, how he wanted so much to press his own to them and learn the very taste of them. 

  
  


Under the intensity of Yusuf's gaze, Nicolò's pale skin turned a soft shade of pink, those iridescent eyes turning to look at the floor in his embarrassment. “I do not understand. You despise me.”  
  
  
“I despise the situation we were forced into yes. And I suspect that I was not the only one to,” he admitted softly as he reached out to settle both hands on Nicolò's jaw, forcing the omega to look up at him. “But our lives are tied right now, that cannot be changed,” he drew in a sigh and pulled away, gathering a beautiful robe from where it hung over a nearby chair and holding it out to Nicolò. “I apologise for the outfit, I did not instruct Sebastian to make you wear that...” The _this time_ went unspoken, for the moment.

  
  


Nicolò gratefully took the robe from Yusuf and pulled it over his frame, glad to at least be able to cover his modesty whilst they both found themselves so out of sorts. He had thought his visit to the King's chambers would be much like the night before, a bedding and abandonment. Now that he was able to take a breath he let himself look around, taking in the dishes upon dishes of food scattered around the place until his eyes settled on the numerous pillows and blankets draped across the bed. He found his attention drawn back to the Alpha as he stalked to sit on the edge of the bed patting the space beside him.

  
  


“Join me,” Yusuf offered, though quickly he straightened a little, gentling his expression. “Please, if you would allow it.” He watched as the omega considered the words, wondering if he would take the out in Yusuf's words and keep his distance. To his great relief, he found the omega slowly approaching him to sit on the bed although he sat against the headboard with his legs drawn up.

  
  


“A wise friend made me think about you, about me. About everything and she made some excellent points,” he began, never once moving his gaze from the Italian now. He had much to say and needed it to be clear if they would truly have a chance of starting again. “I have much hatred for your kingdom, endless hatred for your father and siblings and when I was informed that marrying a Frank was the best outcome to stop this war you can imagine how disgusted I was,” he noticed the small flinch Nicolò made at the words and found himself instinctively settling a hand upon his ankle, thumb circling the delicate skin in a soothing manner. “I allowed the hatred for everything I had felt to take over my mind, leaving me without rationality or impartiality to consider the possibility of learning who you are or what you wanted. I had simply assumed you as blood thirsty a murderer as your kin.”

  
  


A long pause followed, before Yusuf continued, though his eyes grew softer as he watched Nicolò's handsome face grow sadder with each moment. “And yet you do not seem like them. You are not rash, you will sit and listen. TThat much already puts you far and above your father,” he tried to joke, only to grimace as Nicolò sat awkwardly. He sighed, moving his free hand to take one of Nicolò's in it. “I've been told you are polite, nervous, but kind. I've been told you've been asking after books.... I want you to know you can take books from here if you wish to read.”

  
  


Nicolò wet his lips anxiously as the king trailed off. He had considered keeping quiet and letting the Alpha simply monologue his thoughts and yet there was a chance to salvage hope, an olive branch being offered. A peace offering. Fixing his eyes on their joint hands, he finally parted his own lips to answer. “My fate has not been mine for a long time. You are… right to assume I was not happy about being sent here,” he hesitated, fearing the disrespectful words might bring punishment only to find Yusuf watching him with a solemn expression rather than anger. “But I must advise you that my life in Genoa was not a happy one either. In this situation where you have found anger and hatred, I found fear yes but I also held onto a hope that it could be… better, perhaps?”  
  
  
“And then I simply proved to you that I am a barbarian of an alpha,” Yusuf grimaced. As he spoke, he reached up to push back Nicolò's long hair, trailing his fingertips over the vivid bond bite. “And much more, I left you here without a chance to become accustomed to everything changing so suddenly for that, I am sorry,” he replied earnestly, clearly taking Nicolò off guard by the way the omega's jaw dropped. “Look Nicolò, I cannot fix how our bonding occurred. I cannot take that memory from you or from myself, but I can promise that I will give this bond a true chance to be a success if you will only give me the chance to.” With a pleading expression, he watched Nicolò think over his offer. Should the omega refuse he would do his level best to keep the young man as happy as he could in his kingdom. They would still be expected to come together in heat and rut alike, but he would grant him distance outside of necessity if it came to it.

  
  


Minutes passed in silence as Nicolò struggled with the weight of the question. He had been hurt and anxious to have woken alone and those feelings had only grown throughout the day, to the point where Nicolò had found himself tucked up in bed desperately staving off panic. Panic that he had barely gotten under control when Sebastian had come to fetch him on the King's orders. What if the other man was lying? What if this was a ploy to get inside his head? And yet the King had seemed so earnest. Did he take the chance or did he continue to keep his heart locked away and sacrifice his body for the sake of not getting it broken? The sensation of Yusuf's thumb brushing up over the back of his hand grounded the restless thoughts long enough for him to come to a choice, even if it left him flooded with worry. “I want to give us a chance to start again.” he agreed

It surprised Yusuf just how strongly the sense of warmth that filled his chest took hold of him. He felt a soft smile spread across his lips as he brought the omega's hand to his lips in a demure gesture. “I will make sure you won’t regret this. Now, I think perhaps you are due a traditional feast as should've been the case for your welcome. Let us enjoy.”

The temptation to bed his omega had been so strong, and yet he found the strength within himself to abstain, as did he for the next night and the next after that. In fact, for the next twenty days Yusuf kept himself in control, allowing himself and Nicolò the chance to spend the evening lost in chatter and in truth, it was no hardship. Nicolò fascinated him incredibly, the omega was intelligent in his own right and the king found himself listening intently to every opinion the younger man held even if he found himself on an opposing viewpoint. He had become so addicted to their debates that he found himself actively searching for topics to raise with his omega so that they could talk late into the night.

  
  


It had been on such an occasion when the control on his restraint had come to a head. He had sworn to himself that he would keep a handle on his desire for two months in an attempt to give Nicolò a chance to truly adjust to his new world. Fate and biology, it seemed, conspired to thwart him. They had been lost in a discussion about Scheherazade when he had felt the change in the omega. Nicolò had gone from being in an intense diatribe about her intelligent forethought when he had grown silent.

Concerned, Yusuf had raised his head, finding himself struck silent by the sight of the omega shifting in discomfort. A question had begun to rise on the King's lips when he had smelt it. It was like nothing he had ever come across before. The sweetest most intoxicating aroma. He wanted more, needed more. Every instinct in his body was screaming at him to possess, to claim. Clenching his hands into the arm rests of his chair, he fixed his gaze upon Nicolò's face, seeing the discomfort there plain as day. Had there been time or warning he would've ensured they had a long discussion about what the omega wanted. As it was, time and instinct were pressing. He drew in a short breath, trying to resist the urge to scent the air. “Nicolò. What do you want?” he gritted out through his teeth.

The sound of the alpha was almost white noise to the Omega's hazy mind. He had felt a little uncomfortable all day but had simply put it down to the climate. After all, he was still adjusting to the hot desert weather, and given that they had been subject to a frankly overwhelming heatwave of late, he hadn't put too much thought to it beyond dressing in thinner clothing. Now, though, as slick began to soak through the fabric of his trousers, he felt foolish for his own lack of foresight. He'd suffered heats but they had always come with days of warning, days of feeling like his stomach was twisting in a manner that would never right itself on its own. This was above and beyond anything he'd ever felt before. He felt empty, desperate, and God the scent in the air had him dripping wet with need.

  
“Nicolò,” Yusuf stammered, feeling the wood of the arms of the chair creak under the sheer strenght of his grasp, “I need you to tell me what you want. Please.” He would lock the omega away if that was what he wanted, even if at great personal cost to himself. He wanted, oh how he wanted, but he would not take without Nicolò's consent.

A breathy exhale left Nicolò as he pressed one hand to the front of his own trousers, putting pressure on his aching cock. He heard his name snapped and fought desperately through the haze, hearing Yusuf's desperate plea. He was being given a choice, had he been in full coherency perhaps he would've been touched to note the alpha was thinking of him in such a way As it was, he knew there was only one choice for him. The need was already too great. Without pause, he pushed himself to his shaking legs, barely making it two steps before he found himself stumbling, only to be caught by strong arms. 

“Nicolò,” Yusuf whispered, unable to help himself from nuzzling against the bond bite. The scent of him was maddening. “Please,” he whispered, though by this point he wasn't sure if he was begging for an answer or begging him for more. The bolt of need in his aching cock certainly wasn't conflicted in its desire. “Nicolò. Yes or no… do you want this?” he forced out, shakily drawing the smaller man to his chest. He knew he shouldn't and yet curiosity got the better of him as his right hand trailed down over the Omega's back, settling on the curve of his ass. Even through the fabric he could feel how wet with need he was. “You need it… you need it badly, don't you.”  
  
  
Nicolò whined brokenly, pressing back into his touch in a desperate manner. He shifted his face to brush against the silky curls of his alpha's hair, taking several shaking breaths. With every ounce of strength he found himself able to whisper a single word. “Yes.”

  
  


In an instant, Yusuf's control snapped. His hands grasped at the seam of Nicolò's trousers ripping them clear from his body. Gods, he wanted to push him down on the bed and bury his cock in that tight hole but he forced himself to hold restraint, at least for now. Right now he was determined to prove to Nicolò he could be the alpha he needed.

  
  


The king pulled back a little to look over his omega's face whilst unbuttoning his tunic free. “Beautiful. I did not allow myself the chance to look over you before. I was given a stunning gift and I was so careless with it. Never again.” His lips pressed to the omega's, tongue teasing its way between the other man's. It charmed him to feel how clumsy the younger man was in his attempts to return the kiss and in truth, the prospect of teaching him the art of lovemaking was a thrilling one. All the things he could teach him...

  
  


The sound of a whimper brought Yusuf back to focus enough that he pulled back somewhat. “I know what you need, hayati,” he purred, even as he took a step back to put more space between them. “Settle yourself on your hands and knees for me.”  
  
  
Maddened by the lust of his heat, Nicolò stumbled a step forward instead only to be stopped by the sudden firm but gentle grip of Yusuf's hands upon his wrists. His green eyes blinked in a haze as they tried to focus on the Alpha's face.

  
  


“Nicolò. I told you to settle yourself on your hands and knees. Now.” he let an edge of control slip into his tone. The sight of Nicolò moving to obey sent a bolt of arousal racing to swell his already aching cock. It was certainly enough to spur the alpha into removing his own clothing so swiftly that he was sure several seams ripped along the way. He found that he couldn't give a single care about the extravagant fabric when the reward was to be knelt behind the Italian in such a way.

  
  


“I have found myself capturing some beauty to paper; endless sunsets, the glory of the moon guiding life through the night, even the stars themselves hanging in the sky, but you are a sight even more beautiful than that,” Yusuf crooned, setting his palms upon the swell of Nicolò's ass. Below him he could feel the skin quivering with need for his touch It was intoxicating just how much power he held over the other, and even more than that, just how much trust the other had in him to be so vulnerable after disastrous beginning of their bond.

  
  


“Trust me Nicolò, trust me to take the edge off for you.” Unable to hold back any longer, he pushed the firm cheeks apart, letting his gaze fix upon the tight furl of his hole. As if pulled by a tether, he leaned down to press a filthy kiss to it, teasingly flicking his tongue through the wealth of slick leaking from the omega. A single taste and he was sure he would be addicted to the end of his days. He was and had always been a giving lover, but he was desperate to bring every ounce of pleasure to his beloved Nicolò in a way he never had been before.

  
  


Without any further word, he speared his tongue into the omega's hole swirling it teasingly, breathless at the sound of the frankly whorish moan that slipped from the omega's lips. His hands slipped to brace at the omega's hips, holding him in place as he began to work his tongue in earnest, fucking inside of his mate, delighting in the slick that was leaking from him. It seemed mere moments before Nicolò's body was trembling with the force of his first climax, his spend pulsing onto the silken sheets below as he came simply from the probing weight of Yusuf's teasing tongue. The sound he made was so broken, so desperate, so inherently needy that Yusuf had to reach down to grasp the base of his cock to try and bring himself back from the edge.

  
  


Perhaps Yusuf should've stopped, should've given his omega a chance to catch his breath, but he was too gone with desire. He gave absolutely no warning as he used his strength to flip Nicolò onto his back, diving straight down to take his cock between his lips. It should've been obscene to taste the mix of his release combined with the lingering taste of slick but Yusuf found himself moaning instead. It was tangible proof that no-one could bring his omega pleasure the way he could. It stirred the alpha inside of him to swell with pride.

Nicolò couldn't think. He couldn't even begin to focus on anything but the overloading weight of pleasure. He had been itching out of control at the desperate need for his alpha's touch. The moment his tongue had pressed inside of him he was gone to the pleasure enveloping him. Shaking hands grasped the dark locks of the king's hair as Yusuf bobbed his lips on his cock, driven with single minded purpose. Fire coursed through his veins as his second climax took hold of his lithe frame. Had it not been for the strength of Yusuf's hands, he would've certainly thrust his way into the alpha's throat with naught more than a broken whimper of warning.

  
  


He wasn't quite sure how much time had passed when his eyelids fluttered open once more but he found a cup of water pressed to his cracked dry lips. He took measured sips, sagging into the strong weight beside him as he drank. A sense of warmth flooded his chest as he felt lips pressing against the curve of his neck tenderly The very act of it was so affectionate it had him smiling to himself. “Yusuf.”  
  
  


A warm peel of soft laughter bubbled up from the alpha at the hoarse way Nicolò spoke his name. “I worried perhaps that I had broken you. ou looked thoroughly fucked when have not even begun to give you what you need.” He ground his dick against his Nicolò's hips pointedly, smearing his precum over pale skin. The Italian made to roll onto his front but Yusuf stopped him, immediately pinning his wrists above his head. “Don't turn yourself away from me,” the alpha purred as he bent down to capture Nicolò's lips hungrily claiming him in a possessive kiss.

  
  
  


With every passing moment the need for his mate was growing ever stronger but Yusuf didn't make any move to take him, not yet even as he held him pinned so vulnerably below him. And in truth, he knew that was why. Nicolò was sweet, he was kind, and now that Yusuf truly saw his heart, he knew how much the omega deserved the world. It was with that thought he broke the kiss and sat back on his heels, feeling utterly guilt ridden at the needy little sound that arose from his lover.

  
  


“Please… just give me a moment and I swear to you that I will give you all that you need, Nicolò. I had hoped that we would have time to speak before our biology took hold but you are stubborn, it seems,” he joked in an attempt to settle Nicolò. His hands shifted down to settle upon his thighs, caressing up and down the skin in the hope that his touch would be grounding. “But this is too important to wait.”

  
  


Nicolò took a few deep breaths of his own, fighting against every urge he had to beg the alpha to simply take him. Even in this compromised state he could see Yusuf had something on his mind, something that clearly was a heavy weight on his shoulders.

  
  


Yusuf exhaled in relief as Nicolò nodded his agreement, though he took a minute or two more before he finally spoke again. “It is shameful that I have taken this long to speak the words to you, unforgivable but that doesn't mean that I should hide away from saying the words. Nicolò, I am sorry. Sorry is not enough to cover what happened, but I hope it is a start.”

  
  


“Yusuf, I do not understand. Sorry? Sorry for what? You owe me no apologies,” Nicolò asked gently, making guilt surge anew in the king's chest. This beautiful Omega was so pure of heart, he deserved so much more.

  
  


“I owe you every apology and more!” Yusuf reasoned, sounding exasperated but only with himself. His hands moved upwards to take a gentle grasp of the omega's wrists once more, though this time he brought each to his lips to kiss the pale skin. “I could not see past my own pigheadedness. I decided who you were without giving you a chance to show me your heart. I treated you callously and coldly,” his voice breaking, he looked away a moment. “The way I took you was shameful, it was cowardly.”

  
  


Nicolò twisted one hand free, shifting it to card his fingers through Yusuf's riotous curls. He did not have fond memories of their first time, everything had been so rough and impersonal. And then to be left alone had shaken him. For a moment he considered speaking to absolve Yusuf, but to tell him he had done nothing wrong would be a lie both of them would be uncomfortable with. “The way you speak suggests something is different now?”

  
  


A soft laugh parted Yusuf's lips as he finally looked up, incredulous at the statement. “Nicolò, everything has changed since that night. When I look at you I see the man who whiles hours away with a book in hand. I see the man who is so courteous and kind to my staff that I'm certain they like him more than me. I look at you and I see the kind hearted soul I always dreamed I would meet. It is an irony that leaves me startled that I found the other piece of my heart in a situation I had been sure would be my greatest nightmare.”

  
  


Yusuf bent down, pressing his lips to the corner of Nicolò's lips gently. “I promise to you that I will do everything in my power to make you happy given the chance. But I understand that my actions may make that an impossibility. Please know that no harm will ever befall you in my kingdom, this is your home and if we are to be like ships passing in the night then so be it, but I swear to you, you'll never have anything to fear here.”

  
  


Nicolò was struck silent at the weight of emotion in Yusuf's words. He'd seen the change in the alpha, how he'd gone from cold and distant to sweet and affectionate and it had confused him given their initial meeting. But in a short space of time he'd grown to love him as a friend and already he could feel it becoming more. Was it rational? No, but he already knew the choice he was going to make the moment it was offered to him. Time could be a healer and perhaps it could be a blessing too “Coming here was supposed to end the hatred between our nations. Perhaps it does not need to be like a contract. We could find some good here and I am willing to try.”

  
  


Yusuf pulled back just enough to meet the stunning green of Nicolò's eyes smiling at him with utter adoration. “I thank you. Truly.” There would be more apologies, he promised. He would repeat the words often, he would make a point to take Nicolò aside once the heat was through to speak of it whilst they were both in control of themselves. He needed the omega to understand that in his Kingdom he would always have a choice.

“Yusuf,” Nicolò began after a moment, breathing in a sharp inhale. “Please can we put aside any more discussions.” His skin was beginning to glisten with sweat, hips rocking up in a sudden buck. “I need you, please.”

  
  


At once Yusuf's mind was drawn to the desperate need of his Omega. The scent of him spiked so suddenly Yusuf could think of nothing more than the slickness of his lover. “I've got you. I promise you,” he soothed.

  
  


Once again Nicolò tried to shift, intending to roll to his front but again Yusuf stopped his motions, albeit more softly this time. “Yusuf...”

  
  


“No,” Yusuf urged as their eyes met. “No, this time I want to see your face. I want to see you come apart under my touch. I want to see the beauty of your eyes the moment you feel release.” His lips pressed to Nicolò's chastely for a moment. “Please.”

  
  


Nicolò answered physically, making a point to spread his legs wider to accommodate his lover's frame. His lips pressed up desperately, deepening the kiss. He felt strong hands move in worship over the underside of his thighs, felt that same touch settle upon his ass, fingers breaching slowly inside of him. “I'm already ready for you,” he stammered.

  
  


“I'm still going to make sure,” Yusuf purred in return. Perhaps he was taking a few liberties in teasing, however, pointedly curling his fingers in order to drive a few breathless moans from his mate. “Look at you, ya amar,” he whispered as he finally withdrew his hand completely. “You're more beautiful than any sunset I have ever seen, more captivating than the stars in the sky.” He spoke softly as he lined the tip of his cock to Nicolò's wet hole. “I hope to draw you if you'll allow it, a face such as yours should be immortalised in every way.”

  
  


Every inch he pressed in ever so slowly, giving his lover a chance to adjust to the intrusion. It was maddening to feel the tight clench so firmly around him, like it was urging him to thrust deeper. Yet he kept control of himself, kept his movements ever so delicate until finally he felt his cock pressed to the hilt. “I wonder if you were made for me. Surely I deserve no gift as grand and yet here you are in my arms.”

  
  


Words were lost to Nicolò by now, his body too full, his senses too overwhelmed. He wanted more, he needed more. Impatiently, he rocked his hips upwards, drawing a desperate moan from both of them.

Any intention to tease his needy lover died on Yusuf's lips as he looked upon Nicolò's face and took in the desperation that lay there. There would be time to learn one another intimately, time to tease and this wasn't that moment. “Alright, habibi,” he cooed. Steadying his weight on his elbows, he rocked his hips in a slow but firm motion, striking deeply inside of his lover. The resulting moan was deep and desperate. It spurred Yusuf into motion as finally he began to rock his hips at a steady pace into his willing lover. Needy lips found one another though Yusuf kept it soft and tender.

  
  


It was worlds away from their first fuck and of course the King knew why. He knew this was not as simple as a quick fuck. No, this was making love. It was intimate, it was sensual, it was everything he should've given to Nicolò the first time they'd lain as one. It was everything he would swear to give to the omega from now on.

Below him, Nicolò rocked his slim hips upwards meeting every firm thrust with an increasingly desperate shift of his own. He was the first to break the kiss as the growing pleasure within him left him unable to hold back the growing stream of desperate pleas.

For a moment, Yusuf lost himself to watching Nicolò’s handsome face wrecked with pleasure. How many sights had he replicated on an easel? It would be impossible to capture this perfect image even if he were to paint a thousand years. He could already feel his knot beginning to swell at the intoxicating pleasure of Nicolò clenching around him. “Habibi, I’m going to try to knot you It might feel a little overwhelming -” he broke off to moan as his lover clenched around him, his own hips driving instinctively forward “...If you don’t want it tell me… we can… we can find another way.”  
  
  
“No! No… Please Yusuf,” Nicolò pleaded, looking up at him through lust darkened eyes. He reached up clumsily to bring their lips together in a heated albeit brief kiss. “Please… Please knot me, _alpha._ Please!”

  
  


Feeling his heart flooding with affection, the King shifted to brace on his elbows. He rolled his hips faster, now slamming into Nicolò’s tight body. He could feel the omega’s cock pressed between them, dripping precum onto the other man’s pale abdomen. One day, he would take him apart with his mouth, he would spend hours teasing climax after climax from him with naught more than his lips and tongue.

Nicolò’s hands had grasped at the headboard as each thrust rocked him further and further up the sheets. With every passing moment he was sure the pleasure would drive him mad, he was sure it couldn’t get any more intense until the moment he felt pressure at the entrance of his hole. He felt the swell of the knot against his muscles, locking inside of him. He had barely any time to note the discomfort before pleasure exploded through him in a way he’d never known before. It felt like every nerve ending had been set alight, like every single synapse was in overload. Above him, he heard Yusuf cry out his own pleasure as he finally spilled inside his lover. 

Yusuf knew there was nothing that would compare to the feeling of being tied to his lover in such a way. Nicolò was so tight around him and with every shift Yusuf felt more cum release from his aching knot. Curious, he snaked his hand down to squeeze at the swollen tissue, moaning obscenely at the sensation. His finger moved upwards to the point they lay connected, letting it trail to the rim where it stretched over his cock. It flooded him with lust to feel the way the omega trembled with oversensitivity, “Beautiful.”

Desperate not to put his lover in any discomfort, Yusuf gently slipped both hands under the man’s shoulders and rolled onto his own back, Nicolò cradled to his chest. Still, the sudden shift had him pulsing inside the omega’s body once again. “Sorry,” he cooed apologetically, smiling as the younger man simply nuzzled into his shoulder. “You should try and get some rest before the next round.” He would need to call to signal for food and drink to be brought to them when his knot went down but for the moment he was glad of the peace of the moment.

“Habibi,” he began, softly sliding his fingertips to cup the omega’s jaw in order to push him to look up. “Are you alright? Are you comfortable?” he pressed. He could see how the omega’s eyes were fluttering tiredly and this was only the beginning. How many days would the young man’s body be filled with fire for his touch? Yusuf couldn’t deny it was thrilling to think of it.

For the longest moment Nicolò was silent, seemingly staring up at Yusuf even as the Alpha stroked a gentle thumb over his flushed cheek. Finally, just as the other man was beginning to worry, he smiled lazily. “So full.”  
  
  
Yusuf hadn’t expected such a teasing answer and found himself laughing brightly, immediately moving his hand to settle over Nicolò’s slightly swollen stomach. How would it feel to see their child grow safe and sound within this beautiful man? He felt his heart clench at the thought. Being a father had always been something that he had expected would happen but never something that he had longed for, exactly. Nut now he could see a future ahead. He could picture Nicolò round and radiant, he could see the image of a tiny, beautiful baby born of their love. A family.

A soft smile graced his face as he felt Nicolò’s head fall to rest upon his chest. Yusuf turned his head, pressing his lips to the Omega’s sweat slicked forehead. He’d spent so long bitter to the hand that life had dealt him that he’d grown reticent to trusting in its plan for him. Where he had thought life was punishing him it was instead granting him his greatest gift and he swore to the heavens above that he would do everything in his power to deserve and treasure it.


End file.
